Dropbox CEO defends Rice despite 'Drop Dropbox' privacy backlash

Dropbox intended to make headlines after introducing Carousel, Dropbox for Business, and the Mailbox app expansion on Wednesday. But the cloud storage company probably didn't expect those headlines to be about another news item altogether: its newest Board member, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Dropbox intended to make headlines after introducing Carousel, Dropbox for Business, and the Mailbox app expansion on Wednesday. But the cloud storage company probably didn't expect those headlines to be about another news item altogether: its newest Board member, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

The outcry didn't work. Today, CEO Drew Houston took to the Dropbox blog in a post dubbed, "Our commitment to your rights and privacy" to explain why Rice was invited to the board--her experience in international areas, given Dropbox's international push, specifically--and pointedly not dump her.

Here's the full letter:

"There's nothing more important to us than keeping your stuff safe and secure. It's why we've been fighting for transparency and government surveillance reform, and why we've been vocal and public with our principles and values.

We should have been clearer that none of this is going to change with Dr. Rice's appointment to our Board. Our commitment to your rights and your privacy is at the heart of every decision we make, and this will continue.

We're honored to have Dr. Rice join our board -- she brings an incredible amount of experience and insight into international markets and the dynamics that define them. As we continue to expand into new countries, we need that type of insight to help us reach new users and defend their rights. Dr. Rice understands our stance on these issues and fully supports our commitments to our users."